Look at that miserable face. 😂🤦🏼♂️
A few months ago, I very nearly bolted from an awards ceremony before it even started because, frankly, there were far too many strangers in one room for my liking (and tbh I was convinced I wouldn’t win anything anyway). Chloe Lee bullied me into going. #peerpressure
I was up for Wedding Photographer of the Year 2025, East of England at The Wedding Industry Awards. I never for a minute entertained the possibility that I had a chance at the nationals, and honestly, I would have been happy just to have been a regional finalist.
I was utterly horrified, therefore, to have to actually go and stand on stage and be over-enthusiastically clapped at by several hundred people, although admittedly somewhat flattered. A few people have asked me after hearing me complain about something that's supposed to be worth celebrating, why I even bothered with all of this when social situations make me feel so uncomfortable. They have an incredibly valid point, but unfortunately, this is just the kind of thing you have to do when you run a business, and as my lovely wife pointed out; you shouldn't be shy about having done something well.
What made this award unexpectedly special though wasn’t the title, the decoration for your office, or the cute little logo to put on your website; it was the process. There are a lot of awards out there for our industry and for photographers. Some of them are seriously easy to get, regardless of how good you are at your job, which means the term “award-winning" doesn't hold much weight unless you can follow it up with a reputable name of something that's actually hard to get and is judged on merit. The Wedding Industry Awards is basically the awards for our industry in the UK, and is judged by some of the very best professionals in each category's field. Judges base their decisions on your work, your online presence, and crucially; feedback from your couples, not just who can get the most votes like some out there. In my mind, that makes this one so much more meaningful.
The best thing to come out of this though is that after the national finals are done, the team sends out all the feedback, which was collated from your couples by the judges, and honestly, I was absolutely floored by what I read in mine. Some of the things my couples wrote genuinely made me quite emotional. I constantly battle imposter syndrome, so seeing such kind, thoughtful words from the people who trusted me with their weddings meant the world.
Here's some of my favourites:
“Having Joshua as our wedding photographer was one of the best decisions we made.”
“We are so lucky to have found Joshua as our photographer. Hands down our best decision”
“We were so glad we chose Joshua”
“I cannot put into words how good Joshua is.”
“There’s not a single picture we haven’t loved and our guests haven’t stopped saying how great he was”
“Joshua was our favourite supplier… We really couldn't recommend him highly enough.”
“Sometimes we’re tempted to get married again just to get to hang out with Joshua”
I still feel weird talking about this because it feels like bragging. But then I have to remind myself that it's just marketing, and if I want to keep paying the mortgage by taking pictures at people's weddings, then I probably ought to grow a pair and talk about myself a bit more. 😂🤦🏼♂️
Huge thank you to every couple who put their trust in me, and to everyone who convinced me to show up in the first place. It turns out, sometimes it’s worth facing the things that make you uncomfortable.
Images: Matt Rock - TWIA
